KOLKATA: CID additional director-general Rajeev Kumar on Monday moved Calcutta High Court for anticipatory bail and sought more time from CBI for appearance, but the agency turned down his plea and issued a fresh summons.
Rajeev sent an email to CBI, asking for time till September 30 to appear before it. But the agency handed his wife, Sanchita — a senior IRS officer, who affirmed his court petition on his behalf — a second summons relating to the Rose Valley case, at their 34 Park Street home. The “summons for witness” asks him to appear before CBI at noon on Tuesday.
The first summons issued to Rajeev by CBI related to the Rose Valley case — and the fifth overall since September 13, counting the Saradha-related summonses — sought his presence as a witness on Monday. So far, he has not complied with any.
Legally, Rajeev had no option but to move the high court for anticipatory bail since an Alipore judge turned down his bail plea last Friday. But it wasn’t clear whether the senior IPS officer, whom the CBI has called “elusive” and is desperate to track down, would appear in person to affirm the petition before the high court’s oath commissioner. That didn’t happen. According to sources, around 12.20pm, Sanchita went to the high court, reportedly accompanied by a few officers in plainclothes, and completed the legal requirements on his behalf. HC norms mandated that the copy be served to CBI first before the petition is accepted. The formalities were completed at 4pm. This case is likely to come up before the HC division bench of Justice Sahidullah Munshi and Justice Subhasis Dasgupta and the earliest it can be heard is Tuesday.
CBI officer: No leeway for Rajeev Kumar
Even before the formalities were completed, Rajeev shot off his email to the CBI seeking time till September 30. Earlier, he had informed the agency that he was on leave till September 25 and, hence,could not appear for questioning. With the CBI changing tack, however, and slapping him a fresh summons in the Rose Valley case, he responded with a leave-extension plea.
The earlier summonses pertained to the Saradha probe. Unlike the Saradha case, which is lodged in Kolkata, the Rose Valley case is lodged in Bhubaneswar. After receiving the email, CBI officers were quick to dismiss it and sent a team to Rajeev’s Park Street home asking him to appear before the agency by noon on Tuesday. The team stayed there for barely five minutes, handed the summons to Sanchita and immediately left. The team then went to the Allahabad Bank’s Dalhousie branch office before returning to their Salt Lake office.
“There is no question of giving any leeway to Rajeev Kumar,” said a CBI officer. “He needs to appear before the agency for questioning. Efforts are being made to track him down.” CBI’s chase, however, has yielded nothing. CBI officers have been criss-crossing Kolkata, entering hotels and resorts, the Alipore Bodyguard Lines, even the IPS officers’ mess and quarters, without any trace of the officer. CBI has also been questioning a few of his close aides, including his personal guard and assistant.
Rajeev sent an email to CBI, asking for time till September 30 to appear before it. But the agency handed his wife, Sanchita — a senior IRS officer, who affirmed his court petition on his behalf — a second summons relating to the Rose Valley case, at their 34 Park Street home. The “summons for witness” asks him to appear before CBI at noon on Tuesday.
The first summons issued to Rajeev by CBI related to the Rose Valley case — and the fifth overall since September 13, counting the Saradha-related summonses — sought his presence as a witness on Monday. So far, he has not complied with any.
Legally, Rajeev had no option but to move the high court for anticipatory bail since an Alipore judge turned down his bail plea last Friday. But it wasn’t clear whether the senior IPS officer, whom the CBI has called “elusive” and is desperate to track down, would appear in person to affirm the petition before the high court’s oath commissioner. That didn’t happen. According to sources, around 12.20pm, Sanchita went to the high court, reportedly accompanied by a few officers in plainclothes, and completed the legal requirements on his behalf. HC norms mandated that the copy be served to CBI first before the petition is accepted. The formalities were completed at 4pm. This case is likely to come up before the HC division bench of Justice Sahidullah Munshi and Justice Subhasis Dasgupta and the earliest it can be heard is Tuesday.
CBI officer: No leeway for Rajeev Kumar
Even before the formalities were completed, Rajeev shot off his email to the CBI seeking time till September 30. Earlier, he had informed the agency that he was on leave till September 25 and, hence,could not appear for questioning. With the CBI changing tack, however, and slapping him a fresh summons in the Rose Valley case, he responded with a leave-extension plea.
The earlier summonses pertained to the Saradha probe. Unlike the Saradha case, which is lodged in Kolkata, the Rose Valley case is lodged in Bhubaneswar. After receiving the email, CBI officers were quick to dismiss it and sent a team to Rajeev’s Park Street home asking him to appear before the agency by noon on Tuesday. The team stayed there for barely five minutes, handed the summons to Sanchita and immediately left. The team then went to the Allahabad Bank’s Dalhousie branch office before returning to their Salt Lake office.
“There is no question of giving any leeway to Rajeev Kumar,” said a CBI officer. “He needs to appear before the agency for questioning. Efforts are being made to track him down.” CBI’s chase, however, has yielded nothing. CBI officers have been criss-crossing Kolkata, entering hotels and resorts, the Alipore Bodyguard Lines, even the IPS officers’ mess and quarters, without any trace of the officer. CBI has also been questioning a few of his close aides, including his personal guard and assistant.
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